FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Great Tarmac Rally 2026

23 to 25 Oct 2026

The Great Tarmac Rally has always been the crown jewel of Australian tarmac rallying – but in 2026, it shifts into overdrive.
?
For the first time ever, this iconic event becomes a three-day marathon of speed and stamina, uniting three of Victoria’s most legendary rally roads: Lake Mountain Road, the notorious Reefton Spur, and the relentless Eildon–Jamieson Road.

With 350+ kilometres of closed-road competition, it’s the longest, toughest, and most exhilarating challenge on the ATR calendar.

Friday launches from Marysville with the trek up and down Lake Mountain Road – an alpine ascent where wide sweepers give way to tight, twisting corners. Crews will battle everything from fog and sleet to dazzling sunshine, often in the space of a single stage.

Saturday raises the stakes on the Eildon–Jamieson Road. Across six stages and more than 110 competitive kilometres, drivers will be pushed to their limits on this unforgiving stretch of tarmac.

Sunday belongs to the legendary Reefton Spur – 37 kilometres with a jaw-dropping 95% corner ratio, carving through alpine forest with breathtaking views over the Upper Yarra Catchment Basin. Relentless, technical, and spectacular, it’s a stage that tests the very best.

Get ready for three days, three legendary roads, one unforgettable rally.

Yea Garden Expo

19 to 20 Sep 2026

The township of Yea is just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne. The Yea Rotary Club has organised a Garden Expo. This is just the time of year when interested gardeners are busy preparing their gardens for spring colour. The Expo provides an opportunity to view a host of garden-related products at the Yea Saleyards site (Flat Lead Road), just off the Yea – Whittlesea Road, a few kilometres on the south side of Yea. The site is flat, sealed and easily accessible for everyone. Dogs are permitted, provided on a leash.

The expo will feature a wide range of goods and services and a plentiful supply of food and drinks, much of it homemade. Over 70 vendors will be on site with exhibits ranging from bulbs, seeds, seedlings, flowering plants and trees to garden tools and equipment, garden art and ornaments, compost, fertilizers and more. Check out the quirky horseshoe garden sculptures, produced by local Darryl Callander and which can be made to order.

New this year will be the opportunity to visit two spring gardens for the added cost of $10 (includes both gardens).